“This will definitely be different. It’s exciting though, no one’s ever seen a big soccer game in Michigan Stadium. It will definitely be a different type of crowd than the usual, but it will be different from watching a game in Europe too.”

If it weren’t for the Real Madrid flag and jerseys, Hereza and Brad Wait’s tailgate could have been for a Michigan football game. The families were sitting in Michigan fabric folding chairs while a few people cooked up hash browns, eggs and pancakes on a gridddle.

The pair said they regularly come to tailgate for Michigan home football games and that they arrived at about the same time they would have for an afternoon kickoff in the fall.

“It’s just an all-day picnic,” Wait said. “It’s a great time to hang out with your family, have fun, maybe have a cocktail or two. It’s just a great environment.”

Hereza did note one difference from U-M home football weekends. The parking lot at Fingerle was less than a quarter full, not what you would typically see in September.

Crowds were down due to lack of students, who normally occupy a prominent spot at Fingerle’s, but while many regulars were absent, new fans were stepping up to take their place. Just a few yards away from Hereza and Wait’s tailgate, Larry Kummer and his family were experience the Ann Arbor tailgating experience for the first time.

A soccer playing family, the Kummers were latecomers in their tailgating group, pulling in at about 10:30 a.m. They said they came into town with friends made through soccer clubs in Northville, Canton and Plymouth.

Kummer said his wife was shocked by the sticker price for parking at the lumber yard, but he viewed it as a necessary expense.

“This is a once in a lifetime thing. When else are you going to get two teams like this coming into town?”

Ben Freed is a general assignments reporter and tailgating aficionado for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at benfreed@mlive.com and follow him on twitter at @BFreedinA2. He also answers the phone at 734-623-2528.